Taylor Swift Wins Cybersmiler Of The Month Award for November

Taylor Swift’s act of kindness and compassion will stay with Juwan for his whole life. We love seeing celebrities and influencers using their power for good! If you are affected by cyberbullying or abuse online, follow the links within the article for access to our various support services.

November brings yet another beautiful story of a celebrity acting selflessly to enhance the life of somebody else – and needless to say that 18-year-old Connecticut college freshman Juwan Givens got the surprise of his life when he began releasing his music on social media!

Having been relentlessly bullied for years, Juwan wanted change. Being in a dark place he had felt isolated and “not even human” at times. He turned to Tumblr and started creating music as an escape. He soon became inspired when he discovered Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake it Off’ hit and began to create covers. He had been encouraged by her message of individuality, helping him to think about why he cared so much about people’s opinions of him.

“I was speechless that she cares about each one of her fans, I didn’t even look at her as a famous person. She’s genuine, she’s herself and she doesn’t care what anyone says.”

Juwan Givens

One day he got a like from Taylor Swift on social media, and his musical efforts were noticed by her management – soon after, Juwan received an exclusive invite to a ‘special event’. He travelled with his mother (also a Taylor Swift fan) to the ‘event’ but what he did not know, was that he was about to get the chance to meet his idol at her Rhode Island Mansion along with a very small group of superfans! When he arrived he was amazed to be greeted by Taylor herself, who welcomed Juwan into her home.

Spending time with Taylor enabled Juwan to gain a positive perspective of all the bullying and abuse he had experienced for many years. Throughout the day, they discussed various topics including bullying, online abuse and self-confidence, while taking pictures together of course!

“This is such a heartwarming story. The effect that this experience has had on Juwan will enhance his life in the short and long-term. Taylor definitely deserves recognition for this incredible act of selflessness.”

Iain Alexander, Head of Engagement, The Cybersmile Foundation

Juwan is now continuing to pursue his music career with a very bright future ahead of him – confident that he doesn’t have to worry about what other people think of him and that he can celebrate his own individuality!

Well think Taylor totally deserves the Cybersmiler of the Month Award for welcoming Juwan into her home and changing his life! If you hear of any celebrities, influencers or brands and you would like to see them win our award be sure to let us know!

If you are affected by any kind of online negativity we can help – visit our Cyberbullying and Digital Abuse Help Center or our Total Access Support service. For further information about Cybersmile and the work we do, please explore the suggestions below.

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I don’t think people understand how important this group is until they have been or are being cyberbullied. Cybersmile is so important, they teach people to be confident and to love themselves for who they are. They stop people feeling ashamed of themselves. If they need any more advocates they can sign me up! Nothing anyone can say will break…

A Changing World

With the world becoming increasingly digital, access to the internet is now widely considered to be a necessity rather than a conscious decision. Regardless of choice, our lives revolve around technology. We believe that everybody should have equal opportunities to embrace this technology and develop as an integral part of our new digital world without suffering abuse, harassment or intimidation.